Method and apparatus for processing dermal tissue

ABSTRACT

A portable and disposable device is provided for processing harvested dermal tissue. The device includes a housing presenting a handle having a gripping surface and a cutting head attached to the handle. A cutting assembly is supported by the cutting head and includes a plurality of spaced cutting blades that are rotatable with respect to the housing. A receptacle is disposed downstream of the cutting assembly and receives the sliced tissue from the cutting blades. The device is thus operable to slice harvested tissue into strips, and further into fine particles, that can be used for transplantation onto a wound site.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No.60/450,375, filed Feb. 27, 2003, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processingdermal tissue that has been harvested from a patient and, in particular,relates to a method and apparatus for cutting and mincing dermal tissueinto particles suitable for transplantation into a wound on the patient.

Skin grafting has traditionally involved the removal of a thin slice ofdermal tissue from a donor site on a patient. The slice of tissue isthen used to cover the site of a wound, which is typically a nonself-healing wound or a burn. In some cases the tissue is processedbefore it is applied to the recipient wound site. A common processcalled meshing creates a number of small, non-connected cuts in theslice of tissue. The tissue can then be stretched until it has theappearance of a mesh or net. In this state, it can cover a larger areaof a wound. Other methods of processing include cutting the tissue intoparticles with knives, blades, or scissors.

The purpose of such processing is to use tissue from a donor site tocover a wound area that is larger than the donor site. The ratio of thewound area to the donor site area is called the expansion ratio. Ahigher expansion ratio is desirable to minimize the trauma of the donorsite, and to aid patients who have only a small amount of dermal tissueavailable for grafting purposes.

Traditional methods of processing dermal tissue have produced lowexpansion ratios. They have also produced poor cosmetic outcomes inwhich the healed wound exhibits a rough and uneven surface.

Another device utilizes a drum carrying a plurality of parallel bladesthat is supported above a cutting surface. The strip of tissue is placedon the cutting surface, and the device is activated to rotate the drumand bring the blades into contact with the underlying cutting surface.The tissue is manually translated across the cutting surface to enablethe blade to slice the tissue into fine strips. The strips of tissue canthen be repositioned on the cutting surface to enable the blades to cutthe strips into individual particles. Unfortunately, particles mayaccumulate in the interstices between adjacent blades and need to bemanually removed using a spatula or the like. Furthermore, because theposition of the blade is stationary relative to the cutting surface, thecutting operations may be rigid and difficult to perform.

It would therefore be desirable to provide a simpler processing devicethat is inexpensive, disposable, and easy to use compared toconventional devices. It would be further desirable to achieve higherexpansion ratios than conventionally achieved in order to improvecosmetic outcomes for healed wounds.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an apparatus forprocessing harvested dermal tissue supported on a cutting surfaceincludes a housing that presents a handle having a gripping surface anda cutting head attached to the handle. A cutting assembly is connectedto the cutting head. The cutting assembly includes a plurality of spacedapart blade tips that are configured to cut through the harvested tissueas the cutting assembly rotates along the cutting surface to producesliced tissue.

In accordance with another aspect, a receptacle is disposed downstreamof the cutting assembly and receives the particles from the cuttingblades.

In accordance with another aspect, a tissue separator is providedincluding a base supported by the housing. A plurality of tines extendoutwardly from the base and are configured to interdigitate withadjacent cutting blades. The tines remove sliced tissue lodged in thecutting assembly between adjacent blades.

The foregoing and other aspects of the invention will appear from thefollowing description. In the description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which there isshown by way of illustration, and not limitation, a preferred embodimentof the invention. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent thefull scope of the invention, however, and reference must therefore bemade to the claims herein for interpreting the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a harvested dermal tissue processorconstructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an assembly view of the components of the harvested dermaltissue processor illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the harvested dermal tissue processorillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the harvested dermal tissue processorillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional side elevation view of the harvested dermal tissueprocessor taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of a cutting assembly forming part ofthe harvested dermal tissue processor illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the harvested dermal tissue processorillustrated in FIG. 1 having a portion cut away;

FIG. 8 is a sectional side elevation view of the harvested dermal tissueprocessor illustrated in FIG. 1 during a forward cutting operation;

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of the harvested tissue after a firstforward cutting operation;

FIG. 10 is a sectional side elevation view of the harvested dermaltissue processor illustrated in FIG. 1 during a backward cuttingoperation;

FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of the harvested tissue after twocutting operations;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the harvested dermal tissue processorsimilar to the processor illustrated in FIG. 1 but having hinged tissueseparators in accordance with an alternate embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the harvested dermal tissue processorsimilar to the processor illustrated in FIG. 1, but including a slidableupper tissue separator in a stand-by position in accordance with analternate embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the harvested dermal tissue processorsimilar to FIG. 13, but with the tissue separator in an engagedposition;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the harvested dermal tissue processorsimilar to the processor illustrated in FIG. 1, but including a slidablelower tissue separator in a stand-by position in accordance with analternate embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the harvested dermal tissue processorsimilar to FIG. 15, but with the tissue separator in an engagedposition;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the harvested dermal tissue processorsimilar to the processor illustrated in FIG. 1, but including a secondhandle in a stand-by position in accordance with an alternateembodiment; and

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the harvested dermal tissue processorsimilar to FIG. 17, but with the second handle in an engaged position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a disposable, handheld device 20 for processingharvested dermal tissue includes a housing 21 presenting a substantiallyhorizontally extending handle 22 and an interconnecting cutting head 24extending forwardly from the handle. Handle 22 and cutting head 24extend generally in the same plane, and are preferably formed from aplastic that is molded as an integral frame. Unless stated otherwise,device 20 can be formed from any suitable plastic, and is preferablyinjection or otherwise molded.

Handle 22 defines an upper end 26, a lower end (not shown) opposite theupper end, and opposing sides 28. Handle 22 defines a necked-downgripping portion 30 at a location proximal the interface with cuttinghead 24. A pair of side cutouts 32 are formed in opposing sides 28, anda third cutout 34 is formed in the upper end 26. Cutouts 32 and 34 aresubstantially aligned, and ergonomically sized and shaped to becomfortably engaged by a user's thumb and other fingers. Advantageously,because gripping portion 30 is symmetrical, device 20 can be equallyengaged by a user's left or right hand in one of several ergonomicpositions.

Referring also to FIG. 2, cutting head 24 is defined at its periphery bya frame that includes a laterally extending rear wall 38 attached tohandle 22, and side walls 40 extending forwardly from opposite ends ofrear wall 38. A collection plate 42 is disposed between side walls 40and extends forwardly from rear wall 38 a distance less than the totallength of side walls 40. It should be appreciated that plate 42 extendsin a plane that is lower than the plane defined by the upper edges ofrear and side walls 38 and 40. Accordingly, a receptacle 44 is formedfrom plate 42 along with walls 38 and 40 that receives processed tissue,as will be described in more detail below. A laterally extending frontwall 46 connects the outer ends of side walls 40. A void 50 is thusdefined at the front of the cutting head 24 by front wall 46, side walls40, and collection plate 42.

Referring also to FIGS. 5 and 6, a cutting assembly 60 is disposedwithin void 50 at a position upstream from collection plate 42 withrespect to the direction of processed tissue particle travel duringoperation. Cutting assembly 60 is formed from a plurality of generallycircular metal cutting blades 62 spaced apart by a plurality of washers64 interposed between adjacent blades 62. Each blade 62 converges at itsperiphery to a circular blade tip 63. Tips 63 can be formed with adouble bevel, single bevel, or serrated or jagged edge. Washers 64 havea diameter less than the diameter of cutting blades 62 such that bladetips 63 extend outwardly from adjacent washers 64.

Cutting assembly 60 is rotatably supported by cutting head 24. Inparticular, a pair of aligned apertures 54 extends through the sidewalls 40 and receives a cylindrical axle 56. Axle 56 extends through theapertures 54, and receives a hub 58 extending centrally through cuttingassembly 60. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, axle 56 ispreferably rotatably fixed in apertures 54, and each blade 62 and washer64 rotate independently around the axle 56. Alternatively still, blades62 and washers 64 can be interlocked or otherwise fastened to each othersuch that each cutting blade 62 is rotatably fixed to all other cuttingblades of cutting assembly 60. In this embodiment, the interlocked orfastened blades 62 and washers 64 can collectively rotate about axle 56,which is fixed within apertures 54. Alternatively still, the interlockedor fastened blades 62 and 64 can be fixed with respect to rotation aboutaxle 56, and axle can be inserted into apertures 54 via traditionalroller bearings (not shown) that enable axle 56 to rotate with respectto cutting head 22.

Washers 64 can assume any size, and preferably define a thicknessbetween 100 microns and 5 mm. The distance between adjacent blade tips63 is limited by the thickness of the corresponding blade 62 and washer64, and is preferably within the range of 100 microns and 5 mm, and morepreferably between 200 microns and 1200 microns.

While the cutting assembly 60 has been described in accordance with thepreferred embodiment, a skilled artisan will appreciate that washers 64could be eliminated such that blades 62 are disposed immediatelyadjacent each other, and the blade tips are spaced apart a distanceequal to the thickness of each blade 62. It should be furtherappreciated that cutting assembly 30 could be formed from a singleelongated annular member having a plurality of spaced apart blade tipsformed in its outer surface. The present invention is not intended to belimited to any of these embodiments.

Cutting head 24 defines a wide V-shaped base 49 that includes the lowersurface 51 of plate 42, and the lower surfaces 53 of side walls 40 at alocation forward of plate. Lower surface 51 of plate 42 extends forwardfrom rear wall 38, and slightly downwardly at an angle between 10 and 50degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. Lower surface 53 isbeveled at a location laterally aligned with void 50, and connect withlower surface 51. Lower surface 53 preferably defines an angle in therange of 10 and 50 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, andpreferably 30 degrees. Accordingly, device 20 can be tilted forwards toengage cutting assembly 60 with the harvested tissue that is to beprocessed.

Referring also to FIG. 7, an upper and a lower tissue separator 66 and68, respectively, are fastened to cutting head 24 and engage cuttingassembly 60 to remove tissue that may be disposed between adjacentblades 62 during cutting operations. Separators 66 and 68 are preferablyformed from a metal, but could alternatively be formed from a plastic,ceramic, or other suitable material as appreciated by a skilled artisan.

Upper separator 66 is a comb-like structure that defines a laterallyextending base 70 and a plurality of tines 72 extending forwardly frombase 70. Tines 72 define a thickness that is preferably slightly lessthan the thickness between adjacent blades 62. Base 70 is mounted to theupper surface of collection plate 42 at a location such that adjacenttines 72 extend forwardly and interdigitate with corresponding adjacentblade tips 63 in a one-to-one relationship, as illustrated in FIG. 3.Tines 72 define distal ends 74 that ride along the outer surface ofcorresponding washers 64, preferably between the 12:00 and 2:00position, and more preferably at approximately the 12:00 position. Itshould be appreciated that the present invention is not to be construedas limited to the position of tines 72 with respect to washers 64.Furthermore, if cutting assembly 60 does not include washers 64, tineswould extend between blade tips 63 to a location where sliced particleswould tend to accumulate.

A mounting flange 76 extends forwardly from lower surface 51 of plate42, and slightly upwardly at an angle such that the lower surface offlange 76 extends along a plane that is tangential with respect to theouter periphery of washers 64. Flange 76 is preferably coplanar withlower surface 53. Lower separator 68 is a comb-like structure thatdefines a laterally extending base 78 and a plurality of tines 80extending forwardly from base 78. Tines 80 define a thickness that ispreferably slightly less than the thickness between adjacent blades 62.Base 78 is mounted to the lower surface of flange 76 such that adjacenttines 80 extend forwardly and interdigitate with corresponding adjacentblades 62 in a one-to-one relationship, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Tines80 define distal ends 81 that ride along the outer surface ofcorresponding washers 64, preferably at a position between 6:00 and7:00. It should be appreciated that the present invention is not to beconstrued as limited to the position of tines 80 with respect to washers64. Furthermore, if cutting assembly 60 does not include washers 64,tines 80 would extend between blade tips 63 to a location where slicedparticles would tend to accumulate.

In accordance with an alternative embodiment, either or both separators66 and 68 can be actuated between a stand-by position, whereby tines 72and 80 are removed from the interstices between adjacent blades 62, andan engaged position whereby tines 72 and 80 interdigitate with blades 62as described above. For instance, referring to FIG. 12, bases 70 and 78of separators 66 and 68, respectively, can be attached to cutting head24 via a hinge (not shown), thus allowing the collection mechanism to beraised to the stand-by position, and lowered to the engaged position.

Alternatively still, referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, a receptacle can beattached to the upper surface of cutting head 24. Receptacle 82 includesa pair of opposing side walls 84 joined at their outer ends by a rearend wall 86. A recessed collection plate 88 extends between side walls84 and forwardly from end wall 86, and receives processed tissue duringoperation of device 20. Upper separator 66 is coupled to receptacle 82,and rides along guide rails (not shown) that are carried by side walls84. The guide rails are angled such that separator 66 can be translatedbackwards and forward from the stand-by position illustrated in FIG. 13to the engaged position illustrated in FIG. 14. One or more detents canbe formed in the guide rail and positioned to resist (though notprevent) translation of separator 66 away from both the stand-by andengaged positions. The detents enable a user to lock the separator 66 inthe desired position during operation.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, lower separator 68 can alternatively bemounted onto a ramp 90 that is attached to lower surface 51 of plate 42.Ramp 90 presents a ramp surface 92 that is angled towards washers 64.Separator 68 slidably rides along ramp surface 92 via guide rails (notshown) or the like, and can thus be translated from the stand-byposition illustrated in FIG. 15 to the engaged position illustrated inFIG. 16. One or more detents can be formed in the guide rail andpositioned to resist (though not prevent) translation of separator 68away from both the stand-by and engaged positions. The detents enable auser to lock the separator 68 in the desired position during operation.

Advantageously, because device 20 lacks complex electrical components,it can be manufactured inexpensively compared to conventional dermaltissue processing devices.

Operation of dermal tissue processing device 20 will now be describedwith reference to FIGS. 8-11. As will become apparent from thedescription below, device 20 is capable of performing a forward andbackward cutting operations.

Referring initially to FIG. 8, a sheet of harvested dermal tissue 94 isdisposed on a cutting surface 96. Cutting surface 96 is preferablyformed from a rubber, plastic, or other material suitable for supportingtissue 94 to be processed. It is desirable that surface 96 be sterile,sufficiently ductile and tacky to hold the tissue 94 in place andprevent slippage of the cutting blades 62, and durable to resist beingcut by the blades during operation. Separators 66 and 68 (if movable)are then brought into engagement with cutting assembly 60.

With continuing reference to FIG. 8, device 20 is tilted up and forwardat an angle approximately equal to the angle of beveled surface 53 suchthat both surfaces 51 and 53 are clear from interference with thecutting surface. Tilting the device 20 provides the user with increasedleverage to apply downward force when performing cutting operations.

Device 20 is then lowered onto cutting surface 96 at a locationimmediately behind the tissue 94. The user applies a sufficient amountof downward force to enable cutting blades 62 to penetrate throughtissue 94, and translates device 20 forward along the direction of ArrowA while maintaining engagement between blades 62 and cutting surface 96.The forward cutting operation thus ensues, whereby blades 62 thus rotatecounterclockwise as indicated by Arrow B as they cut through the tissue94.

Referring also to FIG. 9, the first forward cutting operation slices thetissue 94 into a plurality of adjacent fine strips 98 having a thicknessTI substantially equal to distance between adjacent cutting blade tips63. As blades 62 rotate during the forward cutting operation, slicedtissue 94 tends to become immediately lodged within the intersticesbetween adjacent blades. The lodged strips 98 rotate along with blades62 towards lower separator 68, and are brought into contact with theinterdigitating tines 80. The tissue 94 rides along the lower camsurfaces of tines 80, becomes separated from cutting assembly 60, andfalls back onto cutting surface 96 as substantially parallel strips 98.Lower separator 68 can be disengaged from cutting assembly 60 after theforward cutting operation, or blade can be rotated furthercounterclockwise, to force the distal ends of strips 98 onto the cuttingsurface 96. Multiple passes may be made if, for instance, the width ofthe harvested tissue 94 is greater than the distance between outercutting blades 62.

Once the sheet of tissue 94 has been sliced and separated onto cuttingsurface 96, a backward cutting operation can be performed by orientingdevice 20 in a second direction, such as 90 degrees. A 90 degreeorientation is preferred such that the cutting direction extendssubstantially orthogonal with respect to the strips 98.

In particular, device 20 is positioned in front of strips 94, andlowered such that cutting assembly engages the front edge of thefront-most strip. The user applies a sufficient amount of downward forceto enable cutting blades 62 to penetrate through tissue 94. The backwardcutting operation ensues, whereby device 20 is translated backwardsalong the direction of Arrow C while maintaining engagement betweenblades 62 and tissue 94. Blades 62 thus rotate clockwise as indicated byArrow D.

Referring also to FIG. 11, if the backward cutting operation isperformed immediately after the first forward cutting operation, thetissue 94 is sliced into fine particles 100 defined by two dimensions T1and T2, each of which being as small as the distance between adjacentblade tips 63. Particles 100 in FIG. 11 are illustrated schematically ina grid-like pattern to identify dimensions T1 and T2 of substantiallysquare or rectangular particles. The particles 100, of course, wouldseparate and travel into receptacle 82 after the first backward cuttingoperation, and may not form a perfect grid on the cutting surface aftertwo sequential forward cutting operations. In this regard, it should beappreciated that multiple cutting operations can be performed, in whichcase sliced particles can assume any geometric configuration, regular orirregular, such as rectangles, triangles, and trapezoids. Dimensions T1and T2 are therefore intended to be broadly construed to individuallydefine the length of at least one of the edges of a particle of slicedtissue using device 20.

As blades 62 rotate clockwise during the backward cutting operation,particles 100 tend to become immediately lodged within the intersticesbetween adjacent blades. The lodged particles 100 rotate along withblades 62 towards upper separator 66, and are brought into contact withthe interdigitating tines 72. The lodged particles 100 accumulate on theupper surfaces of tines 72, and are pushed backwards onto collectionplate 42 by incoming particles 100 along the direction of Arrow E. Theparticles may then be easily inspected by the user using a forceps orthe like to determine whether the desired particle sizes have beenachieved.

Upper separator 68 can be disengaged from cutting assembly 60 after thebackward cutting operation to force the remaining particles 100 ontocollection plate 42. Otherwise, if separator 68 is not movable, device20 can be further translated along cutting surface 96 to ensure that allparticles lodged in cutting assembly 60 engage the upper tines 72 andare removed. In rare instances, a tool can be inserted into theinterstices between blades 62 and used to force the remaining particles100 onto collection plate 42. Multiple backwards passes can be made if,for instance, strips 98 are longer than the distance between outercutting blades 62.

After the first forward and backward cutting operations have beenperformed, particles 100 can define dimensions T1 and T2 within therange of 100 microns and 5 mm, and preferably between 200 and 1200microns depending on the distance between adjacent blade tips 63.

In some instances, the user may wish to perform more than one forwardand backward cutting operation. In this instance, after the firstforward cutting operation has been performed, additional cuttingoperations in either direction can be performed as desired. A backwardcutting operation can then be performed to accumulate the further slicedparticles in receptacle 82. If, upon examination of the accumulatedparticles, the desired edge dimensions have not yet been achieved, theparticles can be poured out of receptacle 82 onto cutting surface 96,and one or more additional cutting operations can be performed.

It has been found that particles having dimensions T1 and T2 between 100and 1200 microns can be prepared using device 20. Transplanted particlesas small as 100 to 1200 microns have been found to achieve betterresults than larger particles, as they enable increased expansionratios. Once the desired particle size has been achieved, the processedtissue can be transplanted into a wound.

Advantageously, the present invention provides a dermal tissueprocessing device 20 that is portable, manually operated, and relativelyinexpensive, thereby rendering the device 20 disposable after one use.The labor required to clean and sterilize conventional dermal tissueprocessors is thus avoided. It is further advantageous that the presentdevice 20 can be positioned by the user in any desirable orientationrelative to the tissue without having to adjust the position of thetissue. Device 20 thereby provides the user with enhanced cuttingoperation flexibility with respect to conventional devices. Furthermore,device 20 enables the operator to easily remove finely sliced particlesfrom between adjacent blades 62.

Referring now to FIGS. 17 and 18, an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention provides second handle 102 that can be connected to cuttinghead 24. Handle 102 presents a second surface that can be engaged by theuser to provide greater leverage when applying downward pressure duringcutting operations. Second handle 102, for instance, can define agripping surface 104 connected to cutting head 24 via a pair ofinterconnecting legs 106. Each leg 106 can define an aperture 108extending therethrough and aligned with apertures 54, such that axle 56extends through both pairs of apertures 54 and 108. Second handle 102can thus be pivoted from a flat storage position as illustrated in FIG.17, whereby gripping surface 104 rests against handle 22, to an engagedposition as illustrated in FIG. 18, whereby handle 102 extendssubstantially vertical. A flange 110 extends outwardly from front wall46 and engages the forward surface of legs 106 when handle 102 isengaged to prevent over-rotation of the handle.

Alternatively, flange 110 can be configured to allow handle 102 to pivotto a position between the vertical position illustrated and a horizontalposition on the opposite side of cutting head 24 with respect handle 22to assist during forward cutting operations. Alternatively still, asecond flange (not shown) can be provided that is selectively engagedand allows handle 102 to pivot to a position between the vertical andclosed positions illustrated to assist during backward cuttingoperations.

The user can grip handle 22 with his or her dominant hand to guide thecutting direction, and engage second handle 102 with the other hand toapply additional downward force during the cutting operation.

The invention has been described in connection with what are presentlyconsidered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. However,the present invention has been presented by way of illustration and isnot intended to be limited to the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly,those skilled in the art will realize that the invention is intended toencompass all modifications and alternative arrangements included withinthe spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth by the appendedclaims

1. An apparatus for processing harvested dermal tissue supported on acutting surface, comprising: a housing presenting a handle having agripping surface and a cutting head attached to the handle; a cuttingassembly rotatably connected to the cutting head, the cutting assemblyincluding a plurality of spaced apart blade tips that are configured tocut through the harvested tissue as the cutting assembly rotates alongthe cutting surface to produce sliced tissue, the blade tips beingspaced apart by spacer members having a diameter less than a cuttingblade diameter; a tissue separator including a base supported by thehousing and a plurality of tines extending outwardly from the base andconfigured to interdigitate between adjacent blade tips, wherein thetines remove sliced tissue lodged in the cutting assembly, and whereinthe tines engage the spacer members; and a receptacle disposeddownstream of the cutting assembly, the receptacle receiving the slicedtissue from the cutting blades.
 2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1,the cutting assembly being supported by an axle extending through thecutting head.
 3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, the cutting headpresenting a beveled base laterally aligned with the cutting assembly.4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, the separator engaging a lowerportion of the cutting assembly.
 5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4,the tines presenting corresponding cam surfaces that bias the lodgedtissue downwardly towards the cutting surface.
 6. The apparatus asrecited in claim 1, the separator coupling the cutting assembly to thereceptacle.
 7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, the tines presentingcorresponding cam surfaces that remove the sliced tissue from thecutting assembly and provide a conduit for the sliced tissue to traveltowards the receptacle.
 8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, theseparator engaging an upper portion of the cutting assembly.
 9. Theapparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the separator can be actuatedbetween a stand-by position and an engaged position.
 10. The apparatusas recited in claim 9, the separator being hingeably attached to thehousing.
 11. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the separatoris slideably received by the housing.
 12. The apparatus as recited inclaim 1, wherein the separator is a lower separator that biases slicedtissue towards the cutting surface, the apparatus further comprising anupper separator presenting tines configured to interdigitate betweenadjacent blade tips, wherein the tines direct sliced tissue lodged inthe cutting assembly towards the receptacle.
 13. The apparatus asrecited in claim 1, further comprising a second engagement surface forproviding additional downward force to the cutting assembly.
 14. Theapparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the second engagement surfaceis a second handle.
 15. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, whereinthe second handle can be actuated between a storage position and anengaged position.
 16. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein theblade tips are spaced apart a distance between 100 and 5000 microns. 17.The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the blade tips are spacedapart a distance between 200 and 1200 microns.
 18. The apparatus asrecited in claim 1, wherein the sliced tissue presents an edge dimensionbetween 100 and 5000 microns.
 19. The apparatus as recited in claim 18,wherein the sliced tissue presents an edge dimension between 200 and1200 microns.
 20. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the bladetips are formed in a corresponding plurality of rotatable blades. 21.The apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the spacer members aredisposed between adjacent blades.
 22. The apparatus as recited in claim21, further comprising an axle coupled to the cutting head that supportsthe blades in a rotatable configuration with respect to the cuttinghead.
 23. An apparatus for processing harvested dermal tissue,comprising: a housing presenting a handle having a gripping surface anda cutting head attached to the handle; a cutting assembly rotatablyconnected to the cutting head, the cutting assembly including aplurality of spaced apart blade tips that are configured to cut throughthe harvested tissue as the cutting assembly rotates along the cuttingsurface to produce sliced tissue; a first tissue separator including abase supported by the housing and a plurality of tines extendingoutwardly from the base, the plurality of tines configured tointerdigitate with adjacent cutting blade tips and to remove slicedtissue lodged in the cutting assembly when the apparatus is moved in afirst direction; and a second tissue separator including a second basesupported by the housing and a second plurality of tines extendingoutwardly from the second base, the second plurality of tines configuredto interdigitate with adjacent cutting blade tips, the second tissueseparator configured to dislodge sliced tissue from the blades when theapparatus is moved in a second direction.
 24. The apparatus as recitedin claim 23, further comprising a receptacle supported by the housingand disposed downstream of the cutting assembly, the receptaclereceiving sliced particles from the second separator.
 25. A hand-heldapparatus for processing harvested tissue, comprising: a cutting head; acutting assembly disposed within the cutting head, the cutting assemblyincluding a plurality of spaced apart blades having tips, the bladesconfigured to rotate with respect to the cutting head to cut through theharvested tissue; a first handle extending from the cutting head andproviding a first gripping surface; a second handle pivotally coupled tothe cutting head and providing a second gripping surface; a firstseparator connected to the cutting head, the first separator having afirst plurality of tines sized and arranged to interdigitate with thespaced apart blades, the first separator configured to dislodge slicedtissue from the blades when the hand-held apparatus is moved in a firstdirection; and a second separator connected to the cutting head, thesecond separator having a second plurality of tines sized and arrangedto interdigitate with the spaced apart blades, the second separatorconfigured to dislodge sliced tissue from the blades when the apparatusis moved in a second direction.
 26. The hand-held apparatus of claim 25,wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction.